Kitsap auto shops offer free oil-leak inspections

Cameron Coleman finishes up an oil change on a car at Hockett &amp; Olsen Automotive on Bainbridge Island on Wednesday. The shop is participating in a program in which car owners can get a free leak inspection.

As part of a regional antipollution campaign, at least three auto-repair shops in Kitsap County and one in Belfair are offering free inspections to find engine oil leaks.

The campaign, called "Don't Drip and Drive," was launched this week with radio commercials on five stations throughout the Puget Sound region. The campaign is funded with state and federal grants for reducing pollution in Puget Sound.

About 7 million quarts of motor oil dribble their way out of car engines and into local waterways in Western Washington each year, according to estimates from the Washington Department of Ecology.

More than 80 repair shops, all members of the Automotive Service Association, are offering free services in the inspection program, said Stef Frenzl, campaign coordinator for a consortium that includes cities and counties from throughout the region. Owners can bring their cars into one of the repair shops for a free inspection, no questions asked. If they wish to repair the leak, they will receive a coupon for 10 percent off the cost of repairs (up to $50) at any of the participating shops.

Andy Cotey, manager of Hocket & Olsen Automotive on Bainbridge Island, said he and owner Scott Carlson have been talking for years about the "incredible amount" of oil, antifreeze and transmission fluid that must be leaking from the cars they service. Some people simply choose to ignore the problem, not thinking about the effects on the environment, he added.

"Our hope with this program is that people will get the problems fixed," Cotey said. "As a business, we also hope that if we do a good job, people will want to come back."

Cotey suggested that people schedule an appointment with his shop to avoid waiting.

The "Don't Drip & Drive" campaign and the free inspections will continue through April, Frenzl said. The repair coupons will be honored through May. The goal is to get a total of 10,000 vehicles into the various shops for inspections.

"This is a short pilot study," he noted. "We wanted to do a one-month push and see what works and what doesn't work. We see this program having huge implications for the entire country. We think it will prove to be a really good partnership between private businesses and government."

If the pilot program succeeds, it could be continued each spring and fall, he said.

A behavioral study in King County suggests that most people will fix their cars if they know they are leaking, Frenzl said. This pilot program will test that idea along with people's willingness to look for problems. Since there is no obligation, everybody should be willing to get their cars checked, he said, "and people are not pressured to fix them right away."

Fixing a leak could require no more than a simple repair, he said, and there is evidence that it could extend the life of a vehicle.

The consortium of more than 80 cities and counties is called Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities, or STORM. The goal of the program is to educate people about stormwater pollution and provide ideas for reducing the problem. Education is a requirement of federal stormwater permits issued to local governments.

"We have been putting our heads together for a little over a year," Frenzl said. "The question we're asking is, ‘How do we get the most out of our dollars?'"

The "Don't Drip & Drive" campaign is coordinated with the overall "Puget Sound Starts Here" program of the Puget Sound Partnership. The new radio spots are targeted to reach 90 percent of area car owners, who will likely hear them three times. The advertising cost is $48,000, but added bonus spots and public service announcements bring the total value to $128,000, Frenzl said.

Until now, "Puget Sound Starts Here" has focused on simple ideas to reduce pollution, such as picking up dog waste and using commercial carwashes. In contrast, the new campaign is asking people to consider actions that could cost them money but will provide a payback for the entire community.

Reducing oil leaks became a priority when a 2011 report by the Department of Ecology showed that small amounts of oil spilled by many cars constitute one of the greatest threats to Puget Sound.

Another aspect of the program is working with employers to lay down drip pads in their parking lots, starting with Boeing in Renton, Frenzl said. Cars in company parking lots will be checked for leaking oil. Findings will be noted on a cards, placed face down on the windshields, so nobody is singled out. If successful, the program could be expanded to just about any business with at least 100 employees, Frenzl said.

Other campaigns and programs are still under development, all funded with a $290,000 regional grant from Ecology to King County, a $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to Seattle, and a $40,000 evaluation grant from the Puget Sound Partnership to King County's EcoNet, an environmental education group.